


Cyclamen

by Yogurt_Tea



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Humor, Other, Ze'Mer is a romantic and just wants to help, accidental Marriage Proposal, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 05:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17676998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yogurt_Tea/pseuds/Yogurt_Tea
Summary: The Hollow Knight goes on a quest to deliver a Delicate Flower to a friend of theirs.They do not understand entirely what they are getting into.Comic: http://petitesponge.tumblr.com/post/182596314249/based-off-a-scene-from-my-fanfic-cyclamen-c





	Cyclamen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BunHun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunHun/gifts).



"Le'Mer! Che does not understand what is happening! Che's garden! Che's beautiful garden trampled and ravaged! Why are you here!?"

The Hollow Knight- on the ground of a once beautiful garden, covered in thorns- stares blankly at her. Their previous worries of discovery evaporate. What a relief it Ze’Mer has found them, and not a different knight… or the Pale King.

She fumes with rage, "Does Le'Mer understand the consequences? The one of a kind flowers! Ruined! Che grows these flowers for meled'loved!"

The great and noble vessel continues to stare at her blankly. They struggles a bit, making it clear that they are stuck in the viney patch. As much as they like Ze'Mer, she can be rather overdramatic at times. Although this time... she is fully warranted in her fury.

Ze'Mer unsheathes her sword, "Che has no other option. Because you are the Pure Vessel, Che must ruin her garden."

In quick successive strikes, The Hollow Knight is freed from the thorns. They sit themselves up, picking out the thorns that have lodged themselves onto their clothes.

Ze’Mer groans in sorrow, "Why would you do such a thing Le'Mer?" Ze'Mer sniffles softly, "Meled'loved's flowers… Ruined."

The Hollow Knight picks up one of the flowers that hadn't been crushed and looks pointedly at Ze'Mer. They mean to ask if they can keep it, but obviously the message mistranslated, as she only grows more irritated.

"Che knows you have no reason to enter the garden. Che only grows one type of flower. A flower of great meaning and beauty." Ze'Mer pauses, registering the meaning of her own words. She blinks incredulously, disbelieving.

"Unless… Le'Mer too understands the plight of ze forbidden relations?"

The Hollow Knight stares blankly at her. She is talking of them disobeying Pale King, right? They slowly nod their head.

Ze'Mer's demeanor changes in a heartbeat.

"Aii! The Pure Vessel has one to present the flower to!?”

The Hollow Knight nods their head again. Ze’Mer mutters to herself, shocked. She doesn’t respond, only bits of arguing whether to help or not.

Ze’Mer wouldn’t tattle on The Hollow Knight, she is far too preoccupied with her own life to bother ruining their own. Plus they are one of the very few beings who could listen to her prattle on about her girlfriend.

Ze’Mer rises up to her full stature having finally made her decision, still visibly shaken, "O! Then che must be the one to apologize! Take the flower, give it to Le'loved"

Without a second of hesitation Ze'Mer grabs The Hollow Knight's hands and pulls them up to their feet.

She gently places the flower in their hand, "The Delicate Flower is the ultimate gift of affection. It is a rare and delicate object. Che understands Le’Mer has great strength. Treat it carefully, it holds a piece of the soul within.” She snatches a flower from the ground and holds it forward, “The flower will be destroyed if you are hurt. Tread carefully.”

The Hollow Knight cautiously takes the flower from her hand. Ze’Mer is a strange bug, but she is most certainly kind. Her duties say she should strike The Hollow Knight down on the spot, followed by a report to the Pale King. They already knew she wouldn’t- really none of the Five Great Knights would- but they are surprised nonetheless that she would encourage them to deliver the flower. She is an odd bug.

They turn to leave.

“Le’Mer!” she shrieks, “You cannot expect che to permit you to wander further outside without proper gear!”

They turn around and tilt their head. Proper gear? They point at the nail on their back

“No!” Ze’Mer hisses, “You need a disguise. Le’Mer. If you are to deliver the gift, nobody should recognize you except Le’loved, lest my liege hears word of it.”

She jumps away, only to return seconds later with a cape and a mask.

“Wear this. It is all the assistance che can offer you. The rest lies on you Le’Mer.”

The Hollow Knight bows, hoping their gratitude is conveyed. They take the disguise and quickly don it. They bow deeply.

They turn around and quickly dash out of the gardens, a familiar emotion spinning around and elating them. The world doesn’t weigh as heavy, and a new determination rushes through them. Even if this disguise hinders their peripheral vision a bit, it will be no issue.

They will finally be able to thank their friend.

They have too long been unable to express their gratitude for the everlasting patience and company of their friend Quirrel. No matter how much Quirrel talked, it never felt they were being talked at. Quirrel is an extremely observant bug, as well as an intelligent one. He quickly picked up on the body language of The Hollow Knight, as well as asked many questions that they were able to answer.

They will deliver this flower! They dash through the gardens, too excited to pay close attention to their surroundings.

A second later, they slam their head into the top of an archway.

They stagger back. They mentally berate themselves for their carelessness. They are a trained warrior! This is a hatchling mistake to make, not one of the son of the king!

Something brushes against their leg. They look down, an array of petals decorate the ground. Alarmed, they pull the flower out of the cloak- only to see a ruined flower, dead and lifeless.

They stare at it, shocked. This flower... it was this delicate? They only hit their head, the damage shouldn’t have even extended to the flower. Yet it lies lifeless. Is that why this flower is so valued as a gift? But in its current state, it would make for a disappointing gift- one that would imply a message of distaste rather than appreciation.

...They will simply have to go back to Ze’Mer and hope she will be understanding.

 

* * *

 

“AIIII! Le’Mer! This one of a kind flower! Che cannot believe it, the carelessness you have whilst carrying such a delicate beauty!”

The Hollow Knight lowers their head, not looking directly at her. It is the best pity-inspiring look they can do.

Ze’Mer sighs heavily, “Che supposes... che can spare one more flower. But this one! It is equally precious and delicate! Che understands that this time you will not make the same mistakes again?”

They nod vigorously.

Ze’Mer picks up a flower from the ground, and places it gently in their hands.

“Che only has so many flowers. Che needs many for her declaration of love for Meled’loved. Le’Mer! Do not fail this time.”

They resist the urge to shuffle their feet in embarrassment, and quickly dash out. A worried panic bubbling underneath. If they fail this... no! They cannot fail! They will succeed this, they won’t give up!

 

* * *

 

Nine flowers and many lectures later, The Hollow Knight finds themselves in front of the Teacher’s Archive. The excitement bubbles back with renewed vigor. This time, they avoided tripping over the undergrowth, ducked under every short archway, and dodged around every viney thorn in their path. The flower remains entirely intact within their hold, beautiful and shimmering.

This time, they will finally be able to deliver their flower.

They raise their hand to the door but do not open. They hesitate. An unwelcome, all too familiar emotion fills them. One they feel often in the presence of their father. They shake it off- no, Quirrel has always been kind and nonjudgmental towards The Hollow Knight. There is almost no doubt that the flower will be well received They cannot back out either, they have to give the flower to him.

They push open the door.

The sight of the Archive welcomes them. The soft glow of the lumaflys and various tubes bathe the room in a gentle green light.

“Oh!” Quirrel’s voice echoes in the chamber, and soon they see him walking over to them, “Greetings! Are you seeking something specific in the archive?”

They panic for a brief moment. There is only polite formality in his words, none of the warmth their previous conversations had. They choke down their emotion for a moment, taking a moment to calm before letting any signs of panic emerge. Did they do something wrong? Were they just another bug of thousands Quirrel talked to?

Quirrel expectantly stares, awaiting for a response that will not happen.

Wait-

Oh.

The disguise.

They are still wearing it.

Without any hesitation, they fumble with the tie holding together the mask and headscarf obscuring their face.

It falls away in a moment. Quirrel’s eyes widen.

“Oh! It’s you!” There’s surprise and obvious excitement in his voice.

All previous anxieties wash away in that moment. They beam at Quirrel, hoping they appear just as happy to see him.

“I’m surprised to see you here my friend! I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you outside of the gardens. Or perhaps I simply didn’t recognize you with that mask? Ah well! I certainly will recognize you next time regardless.”

They just beam dumbly at their friend.

“If you do not mind my asking, are you here for a reason, or simply here to say hello?” Quirrel pauses, before adding, “Either way I do appreciate having your company.”

They blink out of their happy stupor. The flower! Yes, the whole reason they came here was to give Quirrel his a gift. Their happiness subsides a little at the thought.

They shuffle through their few belongings tucked away in their cape and pull out the flower.

“A flower...?”

They extend their hand towards Quirrel and nod for him to take it.

“A gift for me?”

They nod.

Quirrel gingerly takes the flower from The Hollow Knight, staring at in wonder.

“I haven’t received flowers in the longest time... Thank you, it is truly a thoughtful-...” Quirrel completely freezes up.

“I... I uh apologize if this question approaches as condescending but- er- how do I put this?” Quirrel fidgets with the tablet in his arms, “Do you... understand the significance behind gifting this flower?” A light dusting of pink adorns his face.

The Hollow Knight doesn’t respond immediately. They have seen many different flowers exchanged between varying bugs, but all had the same common message. It is a gift to show appreciation from the gifter to the receiver.

They nod their head affirmatively.

The tablet slides out of Quirrel’s grasp and clatters loudly onto the floor, “...Oh.”

Quirrel doesn’t say anything else, instead opting to stare intently at the flower in his trembling hands.

Is this… a normal reaction?

"My friend! I-uh- don't know what to say. I mean I'm not- erm- ." The normally eloquent bug, is now a mess of words, "Um, what I meant is that you are an aesthetically appealing bug and wonderful company but I- ah- I can't understand where this sudden development came from."

Does this embarrassment stem from disbelief? Did Quirrel really think they cared so little for him?

Quirrel nervously plays with the flower in his hand, "Please give me time to think this through." He takes a deep breath, regaining a bit of his composure, "Just… my answer will not be a yes for your proposal, but I will consider a courtship. I hope you understand,  I cannot simply accept a marriage proposal without having spent time with you in a different context.”

...?  
  
Did Quirrel just say... marriage?

A nervousness infects their heart.  They don’t understand. They find their hands nervously tugging at the mask in their hands,  mimicking Quirrel’s.

They quickly glance down at the flower in Quirrel’s hands. The flower… they’ve had the thought of gifting Quirrel something for quite a time now. They had no belongings of their own to give to Quirrel, and they have no skills to make a gift. In their predicament they overheard Ze’Mer boasting to Isma of a successful growth of Delicate Flowers  in the Queen’s garden. Ze’Mer also mentioned that the sentiments of giving the flower as a gift would last far beyond its wilting- the greatest gift any bug could receive.

The infection of panic explodes through their veins as they finally realize the colossal mistake they’ve made. Horror dawns on them.

The Delicate Flower- its meaning cannot be interpreted as merely a platonic love. It is a gift with purely romantic connotations- and if they are understanding this correctly- it is a flower one gives to a lover when asking for a commitment for life.

And they had just gifted it to Quirrel.

If they had a voice of their own to scream, the archive windows would have shattered.

They shake their head no furiously. They barely understand friendship as it is! Adding romance into the mix would be disastrous. 

Their frantic display of emotion seems to startle Quirrel. His eyes widen as he tilts his head.

"Please do not be upset my friend. You are wonderful company that I deeply enjoy... and I -um- am not completely averse to... engaging with you."

WHAT.

The void holding them together softens, becoming almost a wet viscous liquid coating them. In other words, they break into a nervous sweat.

They’ve already made a fool out of themselves, they need to fix this _now_ They’ve only felt like this in battle. Then the enemy is the flower!

They lunge forward, every intention of snatching the flower back.

In a flash, the flower is out of Quirrel’s hand, and in their own.

Quirrel blinks, clearly surprised, “Ah?"

They need to get rid of the flower, _now_. Without further thought, tendrils extend from the palm of their hand, quickly swallowing the flower. It disappears safely back into their inventory space, and their hand returns to normal. They silently sigh in relief. The threat is gone.

They can feel Quirrel’s eyes on them. They instead opt to stare at the wall.

“...Is this courtship of your species similar to the mantis tribe’s way?”

They almost don’t understand the question until it hits them.

No. NO THIS ISN’T WEIRD FLIRTING. They are _clearly_ trying to rescind the offer they didn’t even mean to make in the first place.

They shake their head furiously. That is not what they meant!

Quirrel seems to sense their great discomfort, “Then... you did not need to destroy the flower.” he speaks softly, “I understand you must have gone through painstaking lengths to bring a flower like this here safely. I did not mean to offend you with my flustered state.” even as he says this, his cheeks are tinged pink.

They try shaking their head one more time. They pull the flower back out from their void flesh. Perhaps now Quirrel will understand that the Hollow Knight took the flower back to make their proposal void.

Quirrel is at their side in an instant,“You- I thought I imagined it- you can shift your own form? To the point of concealing objects?”

They blink, shocked at their friends speed. After a few seconds they nod slowly. Quirrel only responds with a quiet ‘fascinating’ and chooses to stare in marvel at the flower

They shuffle uncomfortably. Proximity with other bugs had been associated with danger. The only time other bugs got close was during combat training. They shake the thought away, their small friend isn’t a threat. Quirrel isn’t even touching them, he’s just staring at the flower reformed in their hand.

Quirrel is clenching and unclenching his hands, the only movement in an otherwise still bug. It is a motion they’ve observed him doing when he wants to investigate something, but is refraining from due to his polite nature.

They lower their hand towards Quirrel, giving him permission to take the flower back for investigative purposes.

“Ah,” Quirrel looks down, slightly embarrassed, “If it is alright...” Quirrel gives a slight bow-

-And takes hold of their hand. Instead of taking the flower back, Quirrel squeezes their hand with both of his smaller hands.

It wasn’t the flower he was curious about, it is their void flesh. They jerk their hand back, reflex kicking in before their mind. They regret it the moment the action is complete

Quirrels face falls, “Oh- I’m sorry!” he holds up both hands in apology, “I thought that- I mistakened your offer for something else entirely.” he rubs the back of his neck.

There’s an awkward silence.

This isn’t what they wanted… this is going all wrong.

“Are you upset because I didn’t say yes?”

Quirrel is bringing back up the flower, right? They shake their head no.

Quirrel gives it a moment of thought, “...Did you want me to say no?”

A burning sensation tightens their chest. They don’t understand it, but they don’t need to. They swallow the emotion down and nod affirmatively.

“Then… you did not truly understand the meaning of the flower?”

Another nod.

Quirrel’s expression softens, “Ah, that would make the most sense.” he looks away, seeming more embarrassed than before, “I… apologize for my earlier panic, I did not mean to upset you any.” He scratches the back of his head, “I’ve never received anything like this before, and I fear I lack the experience to respond accordingly.”

There’s an undercurrent of  another emotion lying below his words. Is it relief? Embarrassment? Maybe… disappointment?

“But if that is the case, I must ask. What brought this on? Surely there is a reason for you to give me such a valuable flower.”

They wouldn’t tell him the real reason even if they could.

They shake their head again, and extend their hand for Quirrel to take the flower back, now that the message is clear.

Quirrel doesn’t move, “No reason?” he stares at the flower in their outstretched hand, “If that is truly it…” he plucks the flower from their hand, “Then I thank you deeply for giving me such a kind gift. It came unexpected but it is nice. Thank you.” his voice is a touch too formal, slightly strained.

They don’t entirely understand, but they can sense they’ve done something wrong. Quirrel must be tired from the constant emotional whiplash they’ve been causing him. Quirrel isn’t looking at him, his gaze is transfixed on the flower. There’s a shine in his eyes as he stares at the flower in marvel. The soft glow from the archive casts a warm light to the whole scene. It is a picturesque sight.

They avert their eyes, aware their gaze is starting to become needy. They cannot do that. It is time to leave. They have stayed longer than they should have.

They take the disguise back out of their inventory and place the cloth and mask over their face. Quirrel senses the movement.

“You are leaving already? You’ve hardly stayed long at all.” he runs quickly over to their side, “You are welcome to stay longer, I am sure Madam wouldn’t mind company.”

Their chest burns deeper with pain as they shake their head solemnly.

The sparkle in Quirrel’s eyes dims, “You’ve come all this way, are you sure?”

They nod again, the feeling in their limbs akin to acid searing away at them. They tie the mask in place.

“Then I wish you a safe journey.” Quirrel fiddles with the flower in his hands, “Will you visit here again? I assure you that you are always welcome.”

They nod numbly, already knowing they will never come back to the Archive.

The sight of Quirrel’s face brightening only furthers their guilt, “Well I look forward to your next visit then! I’m assuming you are in a rush from how jittery you are, so I won’t keep you any longer.” Quirrel gives a small wave goodbye.

They reluctantly turn around, facing the archive doors.

They don’t want to leave.

But it has never been about what they want, has it?

They force one foot in front of the other until they are out of the Archive doors, never looking back. They keep walking, through the stagways and all the way until they arrive at the White Palace.

So many emotions are bubbling within them. A piercing sadness infiltrates their soul. They cannot allow themselves to pity themselves. This gift was supposed to bring closure. They have indulged themselves far beyond what they ever should have dared dream of. They should have cut ties sooner, but they kept pushing it off. It has been long enough, and they should be satisfied by it. They push open the palace doors, walking through the empty cavernous halls.

It is inevitable the parting would come.

Quirrel may be hurt by their disappearance, but at the very least, he should understand that they had loved every second they spent with him. It is not as if Quirrel needed them to begin with. Quirrel enjoyed their company, but he never needed the Hollow Knight as badly as they needed him.

It doesn’t matter.

They’ve made their peace with a goodbye gift.

The Hollow Knight straightens their back and steps forward into the throne room

Their father is waiting for them.

**Author's Note:**

> Cyclamen: A flower symbolizing resignation, sincerity, lasting feelings, and goodbye.


End file.
